King James Version

Psalms 63:1

O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;

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Hebrew

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In the Hebrew text this line is Psalms 63:2. The heading is Hebrew Psalms 63:1.

Heading in the Hebrew text

מִזְמ֥וֹרmizmorpsalmמִזְמוֹרnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “psalm”, the ordinary formH4210properly, instrumental music; by implication, a poem set to notespsalm.לְדָוִ֑דledavidto Davidדָּוִדpreposition, noun, proper name — “to David”H1732David, the youngest son of JesseDavid.בִּ֝הְיוֹת֗וֹbihyotvoin beהָיָהpreposition, verb, qal, infinitive construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “in be”, the to-form of the verbH1961to exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)beacon, [idiom] altogether, be(-come), accomplished, committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint, fall, [phrase] follow, happen, [idiom] have, last, pertain, quit (one-) self, require, [idiom] use.בְּמִדְבַּ֥רbemidbarin desertמִדְבָּרpreposition, noun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “in desert”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH4057a pasture (i.e. open field, whither cattle are driven); by implication, a desert; also speech (including its organs)desert, south, speech, wilderness.יְהוּדָֽהyehudahJudahיְהוּדָהnoun, proper name — “Judah”H3063Jehudah (or Judah), the name of five Israelites; also of the tribe descended from the first, and of its territoryJudah.

אֱלֹהִ֤יםelohimGodאֱלֹהִיםnoun, common, masculine, plural, absolute — “God”, the ordinary formH430gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates; and sometimes as a superlativeangels, [idiom] exceeding, God (gods) (-dess, -ly), [idiom] (very) great, judges, [idiom] mighty.אֵלִ֥יeliidolאֵלnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, singular — “idol”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH410strength; as adjective, mighty; especially the Almighty (but used also of any deity)God (god), [idiom] goodly, [idiom] great, idol, might(-y one), power, strong. Compare names in '-el.'אַתָּ֗הatahtheeאַתָּהpronoun, personal, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “thee”H859thou and thee, or (plural) ye and youthee, thou, ye, you.אֲֽשַׁחֲ֫רֶ֥ךָּashacharekabetimesשָׁחַרverb, piel, imperfect, 1st person, common, singular, suffix, pronominal, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “betimes”, an unfinished actionH7836properly, to dawn, i.e. (figuratively) be (up) early at any task (with the implication of earnestness); by extension, to search for (with painstaking)(do something) betimes, enquire early, rise (seek) betimes, seek diligently) early, in the morning).צָמְאָ֬הtsameahthirstצָמֵאverb, qal, perfect, 3rd person, feminine, singular — “thirst”, a completed actionH6770to thirst (literally or figuratively)(be a-, suffer) thirst(-y).לְךָ֨lekhatoלְךָ֨preposition, suffix, pronominal, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “to”toנַפְשִׁ֗יnafshicreatureנֶפֶשׁnoun, common, both genders, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, singular — “creature”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH5315properly, a breathing creature, i.e. animal of (abstractly) vitality; used very widely in a literal, accommodated or figurative sense (bodily or mental)any, appetite, beast, body, breath, creature, [idiom] dead(-ly), desire, [idiom] (dis-) contented, [idiom] fish, ghost, [phrase] greedy, he, heart(-y), (hath, [idiom] jeopardy of) life ([idiom] in jeopardy), lust, man, me, mind, mortally,…כָּמַ֣הּkamahlongכָּמַהּverb, qal, perfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “long”, a completed actionH3642to pine afterlong.לְךָ֣lekhatoלְךָ֣preposition, suffix, pronominal, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “to”toבְשָׂרִ֑יvesaribodyבָּשָׂרnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, singular — “body”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH1320flesh (from its freshness); by extension, body, person; also (by euphemistically) the pudenda of amanbody, (fat, lean) flesh(-ed), kin, (man-) kind, [phrase] nakedness, self, skin.בְּאֶֽרֶץbeeretsin earthאֶרֶץpreposition, noun, common, both genders, singular, construct — “in earth”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH776the earth (at large, or partitively a land)[idiom] common, country, earth, field, ground, land, [idiom] natins, way, [phrase] wilderness, world.צִיָּ֖הtsiyahbarrenצִיָּהnoun, common, feminine, singular, absolute — “barren”, the ordinary formH6723aridity; concretely, a desertbarren, drought, dry (land, place), solitary place, wilderness.וְעָיֵ֣ףveayefand faintעָיֵףconjunction, adjective, adjective, masculine, singular, absolute — “and faint”, the ordinary formH5889languidfaint, thirsty, weary.בְּלִיbelinotבְּלִיparticle, negative — “not”H1097properly, failure, i.e. nothing or destruction; usually (with preposition) without, not yet, because not, as long as, etc.corruption, ig(norantly), for lack of, where no...is, so that no, none, not, un(awares), without.מָֽיִםmayimwaterמַיִםnoun, common, masculine, plural, absolute — “water”, the ordinary formH4325water; figuratively, juice; by euphemism, urine, semen[phrase] piss, wasting, water(-ing, (-course, -flood, -spring)).

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

(63-1) A Psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah. (63-2) O God, Thou art my God, earnestly will I seek Thee; my soul thirsteth for Thee, my flesh longeth for Thee, in a dry and weary land, where no water is.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

O God, thou art my God; earnestly will I seek thee: My soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee, In a dry and weary land, where no water is.

Young’s Literal Translation

A Psalm of David, in his being in the wilderness of Judah. O God, Thou [art] my God, earnestly do I seek Thee, Thirsted for Thee hath my soul, Longed for Thee hath my flesh, In a land dry and weary, without waters.

World English Bible

God, you are my God. I will earnestly seek you. My soul thirsts for you. My flesh longs for you, in a dry and weary land, where there is no water.

Darby Translation

O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee. My soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh languisheth for thee, in a dry and weary land without water:

Douay-Rheims

Unto the end, a psalm for David.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

O God, my God, I cry to thee early; my soul has thirsted for thee: how often has my flesh longed after thee, in a barren and trackless and dry land!

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Ὁ Θεὸς ὁ Θεός μου πρὸς σὲ ὀρθρίζω, ἐδίψησέ σοι ἡ ψυχή μου, ποσαπλῶς σοι ἡ σάρξ μου, ἐν γῇ ἐρήμῳ καὶ ἀβάτῳ καὶ ἀνύδρῳ,